Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "community center theater"

Richard Roeper Talks Film

2012-02-03T07:07:49Z

People enjoyed musings about the movie business from the Chicago native and Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper Wednesday night at the Community Center Theater for the fourth installment of the Sacramento Speaker Series.

He said people often come up to him at parties and say, “I want your job. You get to watch movies all day then talk about them.” What they mean is, “Any idiot can do you job.”

After annually reviewing 250 films, many run together, he said. However, the last movie he saw in a theater was the classic 1946 masterpiece “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

“Great movies really didn’t have a life beyond the theater or TV,” he said. Today you can find movies three months later on DVD or Blu-Ray. Films that did well from the 40s and 50s are classics because they were played a lot on TV, like “Gone with the Wind” and “The Wizard of Oz.”

When “Star Wars” first came out in the ’70s it took 12 days for the first review to come out.

“The culture was different then,” he said. “There wasn’t as much blockbuster journalism.”

The surge of interest in the filmmaking process has come in the last 15 years or so with the rise of the Internet. These days film speculation and hype is expected weeks or months before a movie is released in theaters and studios know by the first Friday of opening weekend if the film with be a flop or not.

Kelly Brothers from KCRA moderated the question-and-answer portion of the talk.

With the 84th Annual Academy Awards at the end of Febrary at least 10 people wanted to know, “Who are your picks for this year’s Oscars?”

He responded:
• Actor in a supporting role: Christopher Plummer, “Beginner”
• Actress in a supporting role: Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
• Actor in a leading role: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
• Actress in a leading role: Viola Davis, “The Help”

Roeper addressed that Sacramento has been home to filmmakers like director Joe Carnahan — “He is so skilled that he gets in his own way... He should mute it down.” — and Greta Gerwig — “She’s quirky enough that she can crossover from independents to blockbusters and back easily.”

What about the writer Nicholas Sparks?

“Why does he put those people through so much?”

And who is a breakout young actor?

Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of the twins Mary-Kate and Ashley, is “the real deal.”

Finally, what is Roeper’s favorite movie of all time?

“The Godfather.” But if it’s late at night and he is channel surfing, “Goodfellas” will suffice.

Disclosure: Join the film production scene in Sacramento by attending or participating in any number of film festivals in the area. Sacramento International Film Festival and A Place Called Sacramento are only a few that come to mind.

"West Side Story" Revival Another Huge Hit For Broadway Sacramento

2012-01-27T02:26:18Z

Wow! That is what I have to say regarding Broadway Sacramento's opening night performance of the current national tour of "West Side Story." The sold out house at the Community Center Theater suggests others agree. While it is beautifully staged, with wonderful singing anddance, and good acting, it is the material that is the star here.

The powerful music of Leonard Bernstein coupled with the equally powerfully words of Stephen Sondheim are enough to make "West Side Story" a show worth seeing.

Add in the choreography of original "West Side Story" director and choreographer Jerome Robbins, which can move from strongly ballet to strongly modern dance in a moment, and it's hard to beat.

All of this wraps around a story that goes back much farther than

Shakespeare and his Romeo and Juliet: the consequences can be deadly if you fall in love with the wrong person. Arthur Laurents' book moves the story to the low income west side of Manhattan of the 1950s with the racial tension and gang turf warfare between the newly arriving Puerto Rican immigrants and sons and grandsons of the wave of Irish and Italian immigrants that had proceeded the Puerto Ricans.

Interestingly, Laurents who directed the Broadway revival this production is based on, did some tweaking of the original Broadway show. Most revealing is a much expanded use of Spanish by the Sharks both speaking and singing. Laurents used Lin-Manuel Miranda ("In theHeights") to write the translation. Imagine though the idea of altering Stephen Sondheim's lyrics!

Laurents also made some changes to iconic choreographer Robbin's original choreography with the assistance of Joey McKneely.

"West Side Story" which was so groundbreaking in 1957 in so many ways remains a powerful and relevant work today. Some of this might be due to how "operatic" "West Side Story" is. The staging of this productiontends to highlight the operatic elements of the play.

The scenic design by James Youmans has a very opera production feel to it in a very good way. The scenes and scene shifts are very much enhanced by Howell Bunkley's lighting design. There were several scenes where the lighting effect would be described as dramatic.

As for costuming, the Sharks really have it over the Jets in David C. Woolard's costume design. Both the Puerto Rican men and the women know how to dress up for a party. The costumes also enhance the powerful athletic movement of the actor/dancers. From the the whirling color and movement of the women's dresses to the form fitting costumes of the men the costuming adds more color and movement to the dance while beautifully displaying the human form of gifted dancer/performers. As a nod to realism the Jets male gang members are in the iconic gang look of New York in the fifties of jeans, ragged Ts, and tennis shoes.

All this is served up with live orchestra led opening night by John O'Neil.

The cast of strong triple threat performers in dance, voice, and acting were led by Ross Lekties as Tony/Anton and Evy Ortiz as Maria.

Lekties and Ortiz each have a beautiful voice and are wonderful to hear singing the great Bernstein-Sondheim solos of their characters.

Together on the great duets of their characters such as "Tonight" and "One Hand One Heart," they sound even better. Even in a quintet of "Tonight" by Tony, Maria, Anita, the Jets and the Sharks, they hold their own.

That quintet pulled out all the operatic stops in many ways including Maria arriving on the scene on her balcony as it enters above the stage from the wings. The scene is followed by the most dramatic of the scene changes as the highway and chain link fences come into place for the rumble.

Michelle Aravena and German Santiago as Anita and Bernardo and Drew Foster as Riff are equally talented stars with Lekties and Ortiz.

Every thing about this production is geared towards taking one of the most enduring works of story, music, voice, and dance that powerfully tells an age old story of forbidden love and transporting it to what was the contemporary time of its creators. What is amazing is how a story set in the middle of the last century and dealing with social issues of that time, both greatly entertains and brings up numerous issues still relevant today.

In the end though it is the excitement of holding a ticket (if you are lucky) to what will be a fantastic evening of entertainment. The
excitement of the crowd. The curtain goes up and you are treated to a most enjoyable performance of an American classic.

Condoleezza Rice Speaks

2012-01-14T04:50:00Z

As part of the Sacramento Speaker Series, Condoleezza Rice spoke at the Community Center Theater to members of both political parties Wednesday night.

She started off with her experiences in office jokingly. “I enjoy getting up, getting my coffee, then reading the newspaper and not being in the newspaper.”

Though her talk ranged from 9/11 experiences to international economic prowess, Rice took time to say that, “good education shouldn’t be based on which zip code you live in,” and “even if you come from humble circumstances, you can achieve great things.”

Before the talk started attendees wrote in questions to ask Condi during the question and answer session. Nearly 70 questions were ready when the session began. The moderator for the evening was Kelly Brothers from KCRA.

Ten of the highest questions on people’s minds: Will Rice have a bid for the GOP vice presidency?

“I’m a policy person, not a politician,” Rice said.

“So that’s a maybe, then,” Brothers responded. The audience erupted in laughter.

At least ten questions repetitiously asked if she supported one GOP incumbent or another.

“I think the GOP primaries are a good proving ground to test a candidate’s mettle, how a candidate handles stress or anger, because there will be a lot of that once they get to the Oval Office.” Later she said, “I will vote for whomever the GOP candidate ends up being.”

Questions varied from childhood experiences in segregation while living in Alabama to her current workout regime. She took each question in stride and with a sense of humor.

After sharing a childhood experience involving a racist Santa Claus, she told us her current workout involves strength training and P90X starting at 5:30 in the morning.

What was one of Rice’s fondest memories while at the White House? ~~as the 66th secretary of state?~~ Playing Brahms with Yo-Yo Ma at Constitution Hall.

“It was a great honor to play with Yo-Yo Ma, but I think the reason why he chose me was because I was a secretary of state who happened to play piano,” she said.

Gary Thomas attended the event with his wife.

“The old saying is, you always think you’re the smartest person in the room," he said. “Tonight we met the smartest person in the room.”

Film critic and columnist Richard Roeper is the next guest in the Sacramento Speaker Series on Feb. 1.

Editorial Note: Corrections have been made to this article after publication.

The Beatles are in town! Broadway Sacramento's "Rain" delights--for one week only.

2011-12-28T18:27:09Z

Travel back through time with Broadway Sacramento's Rain, a Beatles tribute show that began as an offshoot of the Broadway production of Beatlemania. Rain ran on Broadway for 300 shows and 8 preview performances at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York City and has also been a hugely successful national tour for years. Together longer than the Beatles, Rain has mastered every song, gesture and nuance of the legendary foursome, delivering a totally live, note-for-note performance.

This multi-media show begins by taking us away to a time when four young men stepped on stage at the Ed Sullivan show and changed music as we knew it. Rain chronicles the journey America took with the Beatles, showing us footage of screaming fans, interviews, and historical happenings that changed us all.

Looking around the room, I saw three generations of Beatles fans, all singing along, dancing, and screaming like it was 1964. When it came time for the last number to be performed, I didn’t want the show to end. And neither did anyone else, Rain went on to perform two encores.

This show is the next best thing to seeing the Beatles. Who knows, you might just learn a new song or two!

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles continues at the Community Center Theater through January 1. Show times: Wed 8pm; Thurs 2pm & 8pm; Fri 3pm & 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm.

The Broadway Sacramento season continues with West Side Story (Jan 24-Jan 29), Mamma Mia! (March 13-March 18), Million Dollar Quartet (April 17-April 22), and Wicked (May 23-June 17).

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Written by Sacramento365.com Intern, Aimee Steffen
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PREVIEW: 'D-List' Star to perform at Community Center Theater

2011-07-13T04:05:26Z

As many Hollywood stars and tabloid rags can attest, keeping up with fame and one's celebrity standing in tinsel town is a vicious game. Red-headed, foul-mouthed comedian, Kathy Griffin, has made a career exploiting her self-proclaimed D-list status and her observations and encounters with the peculiar world of celebrity.

Griffin's charm and clever wit derive from her hilarious ability to interact with the A-listers while still maintaining a self-deprecating attitude towards her station in the celebrity world. The comic documents many of her forays in Hollywood in her hit reality show, "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List."

Griffin's standup act often includes escapades filmed on her reality show, tabloid gossip, celebrity meltdowns and many things no one else would ever say about Hollywood stars. Her blunt take on fame, and all those seeking it, has gotten her banned from many a talk show, in trouble with plenty of famous stars and makes her irresistibly entertaining.

The tiny comic's appeal is apparent in her ability to combine frank dirt dishing on the likes of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, with an unsystematic approach to comedy. Her unique story-telling style of standup creates a rapport with the audience that makes you feel like a friend getting in on the latest gossip.

Kathy Griffin is set to bring her irreverent brand of humor to Sacramento at the Community Center Theater on July 17. Catch the Emmy award winning and Grammy-nominated star on Sunday night at 7 p.m. It should be a fun, side-splitting show.

"Mary Poppins" A True Broadway Experience At The Community Center Theater

2011-06-07T05:34:40Z

Shows brought to you by the Disney organization and Cameron Macintosh come with high expectations. Fortunately for Sacramento musical theater lovers, the Broadway Sacramento production of "Mary Poppins" that opened last Thursday more than meets those expectations.

Disney's first hit version of "Mary Poppins" was the 1964 film with major star turns by Julie Andrews as the title character and Dick Van Dyke as Bert. Disney had obtained the rights to the series of "Mary Poppins" stories by Australian author P.L. Travers. The first book was published in 1934, the last in 1991, five years before the author’s death.

The movie also introduced the songs of brothers Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. Those songs were nominated for nine Oscars, winning two, and three Grammys. Songs such as "Chim Chim Cher-ee," "A Spoon Full of Sugar" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" endure in popular culture independent of the movie.

Within the Broadway production, four of the songs, including "A Spoon Full of Sugar" and "Feed the Birds," remain in their original movie form. George Stiles and Anthony Drewe added new material to five of the songs. Stiles and Drewe also created seven new songs for the stage musical. While they will probably not reach the level of popularity of those from the movie, they are pleasant, move the action along and do not detract from the show in the least.

Cameron Macintosh without a doubt is the most powerful producer of contemporary musical theater in the world. Macintosh is best known for "Cats," "Les Misérables" and "The Phantom of the Opera." A whole article could be written about Macintosh and the huge number of highly successful productions he has produced around the world. He actually met several times with 93 year old Travers to win her approval to create a stage musical version of "Mary Poppins." This had followed numerous failed attempts over the years including one by an 18 year old Stephen Sondheim.

Broadway road show productions have a bad reputation for being "dumbed down" versions of the Broadway original. Not here. Every element of this production retains the spectacular look, feel and sound of the original production.

The set, props and costuming - all designed by Bob Crowley - are highly imaginative and when combined with Howard Harrison's lighting effects, create one spectacular scene after another. The scenes go from stormy, rainy monochrome London to a rainbow of color with a wave of Mary's hand. One particular lighting effect gives a very realistic feel of rain.

Richard Eyre directs along with co-director and choreographer Matthew Bourne. The action moves along, the scenes with dialog move fairly quickly into big production numbers, and the production numbers are of suitable length to fully enjoy the highly talented dancing. There are dancing statues, dancing toys and, of course, dancing chimney sweeps.

Stefanie Leigh (Mary Poppins) has a lovely voice with a touch of Julie Andrews. She portrays Mary with a quiet, knowing attitude and stoically flies through the air.

Nicholas Dromard is a suitably charming Bert. He is a strong singer and dancer. Dromard has performed the role on Broadway and in numerous regional productions.

The rest of the cast is strong as well. Standouts include singing by Blythe Wilson ("Being Mrs. Banks") and Q. Smith ("Brimstone and Treacle").

Friday night's performance featured ten and eleven year old Tyler Merna and Camille Mancuso as the central characters, the Banks children Michael and Jane. Talon Ackerman and Marissa Smoker alternate in the roles.

These children do an amazing job of keeping up with the adult performers.

If you think "Mary Poppins" is just for children, you are sorely mistaken. Most of the adults were cheering along with the kids throughout the show. It was great fun to see kids charmed once again by the Disney touch. Broadway Sacramento ends its season with a show that highly entertains their whole audience base. Head down to the Sacramento Community Center Theater and spend a couple of hours on Broadway while saving the airfare and hotel bill.

“Mary Poppins” Broadway Sacramento Community Center Theater through June 19, 2011

More information and tickets

City loans California Musical Theatre $300,000

2011-04-28T01:17:51Z

The struggling California Musical Theatre in Sacramento will receive $300,000 from the city to help it stay afloat.

The Sacramento City Council unanimously decided Wednesday to loan the amount to the theater over the next three years. The theater can withdraw the money in $50,000 increments each quarter until the $300,000 total is reached, according to a report by city staff. The money will go toward the theater’s operations.

California Musical Theatre runs Music Circus, the Broadway Series and Cosmopolitan Cabaret.

“It’s an important piece of downtown,” Councilman Jay Schenirer said, referring to the theater. The business the theater brings to downtown is “incredibly important,” he added.

The city is taking $300,000 from its Community Center Theater Renovation Project for the loan.

Councilwomen Sandy Sheedy and Angelique Ashby noted that the money for the loan is designated for the arts and cannot be used in the city’s general fund.

When the theater withdraws money from the loan during a fiscal year, it must pay back the city the amount plus interest by June 30 of that fiscal year, according to the city staff report.

The theater cannot receive a bank line of credit because of its financial situation, the staff report said.

Still, the theater provides benefits to the city, according to the report. The theater employs more than 550 people, and pays $800,000 to the Sacramento Convention Center in rent annually, the report said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

The Monster Has Arrived: "Young Frankenstein At Broadway Sacramento

2011-04-16T16:40:09Z

“The Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein” opened at the Community Theater Wednesday evening as part of the Broadway Sacramento Series. “ Young Frankenstein” is the second movie Mel Brooks has turned into a Broadway musical. The first was “The Producers,” made from an earlier Brooks film (1968).

The incredible success of “The Producers” on Broadway influenced Brooks to adapt the far more popular “Young Frankenstein” (1974) for the Broadway stage. Brooks wrote the original screenplay with Gene Wilder, who starred in the film.

Brooks brought together all the major creative workers of “The Producers” to work on “Young Frankenstein.” Thomas Meehan wrote the book with Brooks. Brooks again wrote the music and lyrics. Susan Stroman choreographed and directed.

“Young Frankenstein” comes from a much more familiar source than “The Producers.” The film was much more popular, and those who love it probably have seen it many times. With the stage show, many in the audience begin laughing the moment they see a gag coming, such as the horses neighing when Frau Blucher’s name is mentioned or the soup in the lap of the blind hermit. Brooks’ humor stands up to repeat viewings well.

The play follows the film almost exactly, only now there are songs thrown in to deepen the narrative. Brooks is no Irving Berlin, an easy comparison to make with the stage production. Berlin’s “Puttin' on the Ritz” is easily the best production number in the show. His songs are very Broadway musical in style, adding to the humor and storyline.

Much of this cast is the second group to perform in the national tour.

Christopher Ryan stars as Frederick Frankenstein. He is a national tour and regional veteran. He does a good job as the young Frankenstein.

A standout is Janine Divita as Frankenstein’s fiancee Elizabeth. Her performance of “Please Don’t Touch Me” in the first act and “Deep Love” in the second act are highlights.

Noah Aberlin substituting Thursday night for Cory English as Igor was very popular with the audience.

Joanna Glushak also won the audience over with her portrayal of the notorious Frau Blucher.

Preston Truman Boyd was also very popular as the Monster. To be able to emote under all that makeup and tap dance in extremely tall shoes takes great acting and dancing skills.

The scenery by Robin Wagner and costumes by William Ivey Long (a name often attached to Broadway productions) add to the song and dance spectacle.

Again Broadway Sacramento has brought us a wonderful example of current Broadway: the popular adaptation of film-to-Broadway hit. Thursday night’s audience reacted with lots of laughter and long applause.

Sac Ballet Performs World's Greatest Love Story

2011-02-12T05:52:48Z

Families and couples filled the Community Center Theater Thursday for the opening night of “Romeo & Juliet,” a perfect Valentine’s gift for some who dined out and attended the three-hour ballet performance as dessert.

“Romeo & Juliet” is an entertaining performance, even for the male audience — nothing like “The Nutcracker.” In the first five minutes, there is sword fighting, a girl fight and a few deaths.

There are three acts and two intermissions. The stage backdrops are well representative of a medieval city in Verona, Italy, and the Renaissance costumes are bright and eye-catching in front of the dark backdrops.

Now remembering Shakespeare’s love tragedy from high school literature, the words are extremely essential to accompany the action, love and despair. The dancers do their best with hand gestures, miming and silent clown humor to improvise for the famous Shakespearean lines.

The ballet dancers awed the audience with their dance moves. Juliet is graceful dancing in her white, flowing dress. Romeo's strength shows in those manly tights. During the balcony scene, there was no “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” line. It is a bit of a challenge to create the lines in your head, but it is nice to not be overwhelmed with words you might have to translate using your smart phone.

Nonetheless, the storyline is easy to follow: deaths between two rival families, a secret hidden love, followed by more death and tragedy. It is strange that the two rival families are separated by red and blue costumes.

Romeo’s cousin, Benvolio, and close friend, Mercutio, add a humorous touch to the dance, devising plans and mocking the Capulet family with their jokester ballet twirls and hand movements.

Romeo and Juliet have only a couple scenes solo throughout the entire performance, which makes the love-mushy stuff short and sweet for the audience to stay captivated.

The killing of Tybalt is the most powerful scene, with Lady Capulet dramatically screaming silently and flailing her arms in sorrow as both of them are carried away.

I won’t give the ending away if you haven’t seen “Romeo & Juliet,” but it’s a love tragedy that is performed and told well by the ballet dancers of the Sacramento Ballet.

The ballet runs through Sunday. The Community Center Theater is located at 1301 L St. Tickets run from $15 to $63 and are available at the box office and sacballet.org.

Presidio Brass quintet captures Sacramentans

2010-10-29T00:41:31Z

Oaky perfumes and soft-spoken chatter filled the Community Center Theater as 1,010 of Brokaw's "best generation" gathered Wednesday night for the chamber music of Presidio Brass.

They played everything from Samuel Barbers’ "Adagio" to a suite from “West Side Story” to "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen in a compilation of scores from their album "Sounds of the Cinema."

The five-man-strong brass quintet includes trumpeters Bill Owens and Ray Nowak, trombonist Sean Reusch, horn player Mike McCoy, and tuba player and primary music arranger Scott Sutherland. Their repertoire includes such prestigious ensembles as the London and Los Angeles Philharmonics.

One of the most striking qualities of the show was how well-tuned their instruments were. Each chord rang like a church organ.

American brass chamber music is the genre of their work, which is entirely instrumental, so no vocals or lyrics distracted from any of the pieces.

In fact, as was rewritten by Owens, Bohemian Rhapsody sounded even better without Freddie Mercury's legendary vocals. Their version was calmer than the original, less dramatic and more polished. No booming "I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me." Instead, the horns took turns retaining the vocal melodies, humming what sounded more like a tragic lullaby.

Feelings of reverence and appreciation exuded from those in the audience, evident in their gaze as the quintet performed. It was like nothing could shake them, besides the players, who took all the right opportunities to engage the crowd.

They were charismatic, playful and sincere in their messages.

Beth Wathen, a schoolteacher from Wilton, really enjoyed their interactions with the audience.

"They seemed very energetic and knowledgeable," she said. "The way they interacted with the audience was great. The selection was relevant because people would know most of the things they play."

As a big fan of country music, Wathen said her favorite part of the show was the opening "Copland Portrait," originally written for an orchestra by Aaron Copland, rewritten for a five-instrument ensemble. This "portrait," seemingly the most “country,” included the songs "Fanfare for the Common Man," "Simple Gifts" and "Hoedown."

And the audience did recognize most if not all the songs performed, whether or not it was immediately clear where they were made famous.

For instance, three-quarters of the way through "Hoedown," the band stopped just long enough for Owens to shout, "Beef, it's what's for dinner!" The audience broke into laughter, realizing the elegant composition from the modern-day beef commercial.

Another crowd favorite, introduced in French, was George Gershwin's "American in Paris."

Sacramento native Helen Bassett found the entire show very American, but said, "The piece 'American in Paris' was just fabulous – very easy to listen to, very relaxing, and very entertaining."

Gina McCoy from Rio Linda said she thought the show was fantastic. She brought her niece, son and nephew and said they really enjoyed it. Her favorite part was, "Night on Bald Mountain," originally by Modest Mussorgsky, and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," originally by Paul Dukas, most recognizable as being from the movie “Fantasia.”

The program was changed at the last minute due to time constraints, and the "Highlights from Jurassic Park" piece was cut. Sutherland joked that everyone in the audience had to buy the CD to hear the finale.

"Burn the Floor" is a Hot Start to Broadway Sacramento 2010-2011 Season

2010-10-01T02:54:36Z

The cast members of “Burn the Floor” suddenly begins appearing throughout the main floor of the Community Center Theater, then dancing their way on stage.

Right from the beginning, the show is truly spectacular. With in a few minutes those in the audience begin reacting. They clap and cheer the dancers on, reacting strongly to the more intricate, flashier and athletic dance moves. There are some really amazing moves.

Ballroom dance purists may quibble over the “purity” of the dancing, but “Burn the Floor” is not just about the dancing. It is theater, drama and spectacle through ballroom dancing, and it really delivers on all these elements.

The show is two acts with two scenes in each. The mood goes from sensual to sexy to erotic and back. Nearly a dozen different dances are are performed overall with several interspersed through each scene.

One of the numbers features a single blindfolded female dancer being passed back and forth with a half-dozen shirtless, sweaty men. The counterpart shows up later with one male dancer and several women. His original partner strongly pushes aside the other women, reclaiming the man and putting him back in line.

There is no chorus here. All the dancers are stars. All have been dancing since early childhood. All have won major dance competitions. Most have appeared on television in shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance” in the United States and overseas. Most also are “Burn the Floor” veterans having appeared in the original West End London production and/or Broadway. They hail from Australia, Germany, Italy, Russia, England, New York and Los Angeles.

They dance solo and as couples to the full cast on stage. Dancing solo or with the whole cast, they are incredibly beautiful to watch. Move after move was performed that had the audience applauding and cheering.

“Burn the Floor” was originally conceived for Elton John’s 50th birthday party more than 10 years ago. After two years of development in England, “Burn the Floor” became the touring show we see today.

Australian Jason Gilkison both directs and choreographed the show. Paired with fellow Australian Peta Roby, they were major winners of British and Australian dance competitions. Gilkison has choreographed several other shows.

The whole show is about choreography. The choreography of the dance moves with the lighting, costuming and music all work together to create a magical, visually and musically stunning experience.

Ray Klausen’s scenic design works beautifully with Rick Belzer’s lighting to create a sense of place and mood. The lighting is choreographed well with the dance.

International costume designer Janet Hine has designed costumes for numerous Broadway shows as well as shows for musical performers such as Chris Isaak and Harry Connick Jr. Some of her costumes for “Burn the Floor” are about creating a whole lot with very little material. She goes from monochrome to a riot of colors depending on the the mood. Her designs flow beautifully with the dance.

Rebecca Tapia is the female half of the vocalists. Besides having a good voice, she has some great dance moves herself.

Peter Saul, the male vocalist, performs several great songs. One of the highlights of the show is Saul’s rendition of “Burn for You" with a wonderful pas de deux by Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev. It is hard to decide whether he is accompanying the dancers or they are accompanying him.

Two live percussionists, Joseph Malone and Henry Soriano, create the powerful rhythms that drive the dancers.

The rest of the music is digital pre-recorded. It does work well though. The company brings its’ own sound system, lighting and set to guarantee that everything works well and is totally coordinated with the dancers.

Sound designer Peter Fitzgerald worked with music consultant Charlie Hull to create sound and music as dramatic as the dances. Both have strong resumes in musical theater and film.

“Burn the Floor” really is a feast for the senses. All the elements of the dance, music, costumes, lighting and set blend together to create an stunning exciting show. This is the hottest show to come to Sacramento in years.

If you love exciting dance and or theater spectacle go see this show. It is worth breaking open the piggy bank to purchase a ticket. Splurge on the seats closest to the stage. You won’t have a chance to see another show this hot in Sacramento for another several years.

“Burn the Floor”
Though October 10th
Tues.-Sun. 8:00 pm Thurs. Sat. Sun. 2:00 pm
Sacramento Community Center Theater
1301 L Street, Sacramento
Tickets $18-25
(916) 557-1999, (916) 808-5181 Community Center Box Office, 1301 L Street, Sacramento. Advanced tickets Wells Fargo Pavilion box office 1419 H Street, Sacramento Online
California Musical Theatre

Community Center Theater renovation planned

2010-04-27T05:07:10Z

Let's just say that you bought tickets to your favorite musical but had to sit in the back because those were the only seats available for a wheelchair user. Or you're a woman who needed to use the bathroom at intermission, but the lines were so long you had to miss the first 10 minutes of the second act.

If you've been to the Community Center Theatre since it opened in 1974, you could have experienced a problem of this sort, said Convention Center Manager Judy Goldbar. Luckily, those are two major issues that a proposed $40 million renovation seeks to address. The theater, run by the Sacramento Convention Center, hosts a number of local and touring productions, including Broadway Sacramento, the Sacramento Ballet and Sacramento Opera.

The City Council seeks to pass a resolution Tuesday Night approving the renovation, which would initially cost around $3 million in design services by Westlake Reed Leskosky Architects. The remaining projects, costing about $37.5 million, will need to be be paid back late in the 2010/11 fiscal year through bonds.

"We've talked about it in the past, even before 1999," Goldbar said. "When the building was built in 1974, it was state-of-the-art at that time, and it was our desire to update the theater."

Since the theatre is currently not Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant, making it compliant will be the top priority. The theater, which Goldbar said was "designed to be a multipurpose venue for ballet, symphony, opera and entertainment venue," also seeks state-of-the-art electronics, a new heating and air system and LEED energy efficiency certification in the remodel.

To afford $3.5 million for the design contract, the facility will utilize more than $1 million it's saved since 1999, $1.5 million from a "Capital Improvements Project" fund, and another $2 million that it was awarded for renewing a contract with Classique Catering. The rest will be paid off in part by the Transient Occupancy Tax (hotel tax) and a Convention Center user fee of up to $3 per ticket.

"They are a magnet for activity downtown that in turn helps support the businesses surrounding them," said Lisa Martinez, The Downtown Sacramento Partnership's director of marketing and outreach. "They bring a lot of clientele, (and) the businesses get a lot of overflow."

Martinez also echoed the sentiment that the facility could use more bathrooms.

"I think (they) have the opportunity to create a better experience for the theater audience," she said. "Part of that is improving restrooms."

She also mentioned that the plan was comprehensive and would elevate downtown as a hub for the arts. With the new construction plan, Martinez said she hopes that people can drive by and know right away that it is a theater.

Goldbar stressed that the Convention Center renovation won't impact the city budget.

"None of (the money) comes out of the general fund," she said. "We are an enterprise fund, so as such, we pay fees back to the City of Sacramento for the privilege of renting the facility. The city has done a great job of maintaining it's asset, so I think it's a good idea that we update our facility."

The full resolution can be viewed here.

"Little House on the Prairie, the Musical"

2010-04-21T14:40:20Z

Ma. Pa. Half-Pint. Mary. Almanzo. For those of us who grew up in the 1970s and '80s, these names mean something.

“Little House on the Prairie, the Musical” opened Saturday at the Community Center Theatre. Melissa Gilbert, who starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder in the original television series, plays the beloved “Ma”. And what a gift she gives audiences that have cherished her all these years.

The musical version of Wilder’s classic series published 75 years ago does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of her story. It is a tale of family, hardship, community and love. This adaptation does a fantastic job of portraying our infant country through the eyes of settlers in the Dakota Territory in the early 1880s.

It also is the story of a young woman struggling to find her way in a country in which being a “wild child” was left to the boys. The heroine, Laura, is as tied to the prairie as she is to her family. She is a spirited and sassy child whose escapades with her sister Mary and archenemy, Nellie Oleson, leave the audience laughing. In the song before the finale, Gilbert sings to her daughter -- the character she played for 10 years -- about finding and loving herself. It is a full-circle moment for fans.

This play is a must-see. For those of us who are decadeslong fans, it is a walk down memory lane. Youngsters new to the story will witness a beautiful portrayal of our country with an engaging storyline. It is a treat for young and old alike.

“Little House on the Prairie, the Musical” runs through April 25. For more information, visit www.littlehousethemusical.com.

Broadway Sacramento Little House on the Prairie, the Musical

2010-04-16T06:03:31Z

Laura Ingalls Wilder's personal story of her and her family's homesteading in the Dakotas, as a musical, has been expanded into a great American story of hard work and overcoming the odds to settle the Great Prairies.

This production harkens back to musicals such as “Paint Your Wagon,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and even the masterpiece “Oklahoma!” Although there is no composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II here, the production is very solid musical theater.

It would be difficult to find someone not familiar with the stories. As a fourth grader, I had the stories read to me in a rural Washington country schoolroom shared with my second-grader sister. It was the highlight of my day to listen to Mrs. Preuss read of a time that I now know was not that distant. Laura Ingalls Wilder was still alive at the time. A younger generation grew up watching Michael Landon's television adaptation, which ran from 1974 to 1983 and is still in syndication.

“Little House on the Prairie, the Musical” has a rousing score by Academy Award winner Rachael Portman. Donna Di Novelli's lyrics are integral in moving the story forward. The book by Rachel Sheinkin, while painting a broader scope, still stays very close to Wilder’s original story.
Michele Lynch's musical staging strongly evokes that of the earlier musicals cited above. It becomes believable that the pioneers would break out in song and dance in response to what is happening to them. Lighting, scenic design and costuming by Mark McCullough, Adrianne Lobel and Jess Goldstein respectively create a sense of the wild, open prairie. Especially the lighting. Creative use of sparse set pieces creates the feeling of the inside and outside of the structures the settlers are building on the prairie. Direction by Francesca Zambello (Disney Broadway, "The Little Mermaid") moves the action on at fast pace.

All of the principal actors in “Little House on the Prairie, the Musical” are musical theater vets, even 10-year-old Anastasia Korbal, who plays little sister Carrie. Steve Blanchard's wonderful voice and great acting is the Pa of your imagination. Kevin Massey and Alessa Neeck as Almanzo and Mary do great jobs on their respective solos. Kate Loprest plays Nellie Oleson, a character who gives comic relief typical in musical theater. Yet she handles her solos beautifully. It is easy to imagine Loprest in a previous role as the evil Amber Von Tussle in the Broadway production of “Hairspray.”

The role of the central character, Laura, is a difficult one. Laura starts being the wild child who thrives on the family's moving time and again westward, most like her Pa. She grows into a serious young lady going off to teach school, raising money to send the now-blind Mary to the school for the blind. And in the end, she must be believable as the woman who marries the love of her life, Almanzo. Kara Lindsay pulls this off like the veteran she is.

She appeared as Laura Ingalls in the original Guthrie Theater production of “Little House on the Prairie, the Musical.” She is a joy to watch and listen to as she portrays Laura's growth and transformation.

Melissa Gilbert plays Ma, another major character. She does not have the same strong voice of the other principals. Fortunately, she only has one major solo she needs to carry. But what she lacks in singing quality she more than makes up for in acting skill, warmth and charm.
Her Ma is an equal partner to Pa in demonstrating the wisdom, love and affection, for both their children and each other, and the partnership needed to raise a family as homesteaders on the prairie. Having played Laura in the television series, she is also the spiritual link of the “Little House” iterations.

For families that have children who are not familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder's “Little House” books “Little House on the Prairie, the Musical” is an excellent introduction. A wonderful afternoon or evening at the theater could easily be followed up with an introduction to reading starting with “Little House in the Big Woods.” Heck, it's a great family show on it's own.

And for the rest of us? For Broadway Series fans who found “Chicago” somewhat risqué, never mind “Spring Awakening,” this is your show. While “Little House on the Prairie, the Musical” may not be the next great American musical, it is a great show with a wonderful story, high production values and excellent performances that can be enjoyed by all.

"Little House on the Prairie, the Musical" California Musical Theater, Broadway Sacramento At the Comunity Center Theater April 14-25 Tickets $18-$65 Wells Fargo Pavillion Box Office, 1419 H Street, Sacramento Comunity Theater Box Office, 1301 L Street, Sacramento by phone (916)557-1999 Tickets.com www.BroadwaySacramento for more information

New violin sounds excite Sacramento audience

2010-02-20T06:26:27Z

Sacramento's Community Center Theater came to life Thursday with the beautiful sound of The Hutchins Consort.

Presented by Sacramento Community Concerts, the group performed a one-night concert that defied the range of a modern symphony orchestra string section.

The Hutchins Consort is a unique Southern California-based group that plays eight scaled violins of the violin octet design. These acoustically balanced instruments range from a high treble violin to a low contrabass violin and together cover the musical scale that today's string instrument, the violin, viola, cello and bass, do not.

These eight instruments, three similar to a violin and five upright, were created by Dr. Carleen Hutchins. Dr. Hutchins was able to figure out and master how to create eight different violins that together cover the entire range of written music, while still sounding like violins. Her scientific study of the instruments allowed her to hand craft the eight different instruments that were performed on last night.

In anticipation to hear these unique instruments I was happy to find that the concert was composed of seven songs, which were also followed by two fun and entertaining encores.

After a quick tune and explanation of the instruments by founder and artistic director Joe McNalley, Contrabass violin, the concert opened with “Prelude in D” by Johannes Sebastian Bach. From the first note their bright and graceful sound filled the theater. The musical talent of the group was obvious; the artistry flowing from one musician to another with great commanded their instruments.

They began with two formal classical pieces, the second “Allegro Maestoso” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, were followed by different musical genres. Their fourth song, for instance, “Fandango after Soler” by resident composer and bass violin Frederick Charlton, brought in a tango feel as the song modernly combined Arabic and classical music. This song was the first were the group showed they could do more than just play as they plucked their violins and clapped, reminding me of flamenco.

After intermission they opened with a shorter piece called “Hodie Christus Natus Est” by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and then lead into their self proclaimed audience favorite. “Summertime” by George Gershwin and arranged by Charlton.

This fun and lively jazz piece got the audiences toes tapping. This bass driven song featured improvised solos by Christopher Woods, treble violinist and comedian in the group, and McNalley on Contrabass.

The last song brought a whole new atmosphere to the performance proving that comedy can exist in what seems to be a serious instrumental concert. McNalley said that though most musicians decline the chance to improvise during the piece, they would be giving every violinist the opportunity. From there, the last song, “Hungarian Rhapsody” by Franz Liszt and arranges by McNalley, became an exciting piece as Woods performing his solo walked off stage. While off stage he never stopped playing, the audience awaited his return only to see him re-enter from the other wing and then jump into the crowd. He sat with the audience, spoke with people and literally ran around the theater while he played.

The excitement of the last song was only enhanced with their encore featuring opera singer Lauren Smith who sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, accompanied by The Hutchins Consort. The violinists showcased their talent as not only skilled musicians, but as singers too, as they sang along with Smith during her performance.

For their final encore, McNalley said that it would "feature their resident composer in a new role."

The audience wasn't disappointed as Charlton set down his Bass violin and picked up the mic to sing "Ghost Riders in the Sky" by Johnny Cash. The rest of the musicians sang and played along.

The concert ended to huge applause and standing ovations.

The Hutchins Consort had extremely talented musicians. I was astounded at how easy it was to pick out each instrument during each piece. Hands moving feverishly, the musician swayed with the other, sometimes playing as if they were dueling. They projected an overall rounded sound that flowed from one violin to the other.

From here The Hutchins Consort will be traveling back to Southern California. For more information, visit www.hutchinsconsort.org

Global Audience For 'Rent' In Sacramento

2010-02-06T06:49:46Z

With the national tour of the smash Broadway musical Rent making its last stop in Sacramento, fans from all over the world are flocking to Sacramento's Community Center Theater to experience it one last time.

The tour features a multitude of original cast members, including Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal.

Some fans wait all day for the $23 rush tickets, which go on sale at 6 p.m. the day of the show, and provide the opportunity to see the musical from the first two rows.

Morgan Macri, Beth Furmoff and Kayla Guminiak had been waiting in line together since 9:30 a.m. Friday morning. They were visiting California for the first time, and had paid more than $500 to visit Sacramento and see Rent.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Furmoff. The 18 year-old student at Edison State College flew from Fort Myers, Fla., to see the show.

The three friends were enjoying their time in line. They had brought cards, coloring books, textbooks and food. They all became friends through their mutual love of Rent.

"It's the basis of our friendship," said Macri, a 16 year-old who traveled from Seattle to meet her friends.

"It's been our lives for the past few years," Furmoff said. The friends, who called themselves "Rentheads," said the show was amazing and worth the travel and cost.

"I'm not going to be eating for another few weeks," said Guminiak, a 20 year-old journalism student from the University of South Florida. She said she has seen the tour eight times, including shows in Orlando, Miami, Tampa and Chicago.

The three had nothing but good things to say about Rent.

"You could have just failed this big math test, but you turn on Rent and it makes it all OK," said Guminiak.

"Every major experience in my life has been changed by this," Furmoff said.

"It's an experience," Macri said. "There's no words for it."

Their love for the show is shared by fans worldwide.

"I love Rent. It changed my life," said Gabrielle Robinson, a student who traveled from Sydney, Australia, to see the show. Robinson, 24, had been waiting since 9 a.m. and spent more than $1,700 on the trip. She saw the show's San Francisco run in October, but said she was excited to see the show in Sacramento.

"It was the last chance to see this cast," she said. "I had to take the trip."

The first ones in line were also the ones who traveled the farthest. Asako Yoshida, Michiko Komori and Masato Moizumi traveled from Tokyo to see the last run of the show, and had each spent more than $2,200 on the trip. Moizumi had seen the show in San Francisco, and Komori had traveled to New York to see the show there.

"We love it," Yoshida said. "It has a very important message."

While most people waiting in line were not from Sacramento, there were a few locals. Leslie Miller, a sociology major at Sacramento State, said she fell in love with the movie.

"Seeing it live has been really great," she said. "It's a deep show with a powerful story."

Nearly everyone in line planned to come back every day for the show's run, which ends Sunday.

"I recommend it to anybody," said Robinson. "It's very powerful."

Rent is playing at Sacramento's Community Center Theater, and the final performance is Sunday at 8 p.m. The Community Center Theater is at 1301 L St.

525,600 reasons to watch 'Rent'

2010-02-02T05:56:30Z

It's the "Season of Love" at the California Musical Theatre as the Broadway Musical Rent: The Broadway Tour comes to Sacramento.

The musical follows a group of young artists who live in New York's East Village during the 1990s. Rent is a passionate story of friendship and love that challenges many tough subjects like AIDS, poverty, homophobia and drug addiction.

Rent is a modern take on the opera La bohème, which was written by Giacomo Puccini in 1896.

The show is the eighth-longest running on Broadway. Its success has been recognized multiple times, having received Tony Awards for Best Music, Best Score and Best Book, as well as Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1996.

The musical is making its way to Sacramento in a new tour production that will include Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, two actors who were a part of the original Broadway production and the film adaption.

Pascal will play the role of Roger, and Rapp the role of Mark.

"They are amazing. Not only are they wonderful performers, but they gave the show a renewed focus," said Nicolette Hart, who plays Maureen in the show. "They brought everyone closer to the heart of the show."

Hart said that the tour has been a gift for her, and she has been able to figure out what the character meant to her and how she wanted it to look.

“I definitely infuse myself into the character, and I would be lying if I said that the character didn’t infuse itself on me,” Hart said.

Though Rent has become more widely known with the release of the film, Hart points out that there are advantages to seeing the real thing.

“There is nothing like seeing it live,” Hart said. “The stage version is the purest form of the show and I think it is the best way to get to the heart of the musical.”

Two hours before each performance, the Community Center Theater box office will also be selling tickets for seats in the front row for $23. They will only allow two tickets per person, and the tickets must be paid for in cash.

“There are limited seats and it's first-come, first-served,” said Christopher Bower, director of marketing and public relations for the California Musical Theatre. “Last time the show was here people were camping out… not that I encourage that kind of behavior.”

Since it may take some luck to purchase the discounted front-row seats, tickets may also be bought online or through the box office at (916) 557-1999 or (916) 808-5181.

Rent will be performed at the Community Center Theater at 1301 L St.

The show runs from Feb. 3-7 with two showings at starting at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Tickets range from $25 to $65 depending on show and seat.

Photos from the Original Production Photo Gallary for the Rent: Broadway Tour 2009
http://www.siteforrent.com/interactive/photo-gallery/originalproduction/rent-the-broadway-tour-2009

Duo Paratore

2010-01-17T02:46:11Z

Musical genius and understanding exudes from piano duo Anthony and Joseph Paratore, who performed Thursday, January 14th at the Sacramento Community Center Theater in the Convention Center Complex. It was the first appearance of the internationally acclaimed brothers in Sacramento.

The performance consisted of the brothers playing several orchestral compositions on two pianos unaccompanied. The first, a classical score by Sergei Rachmaninov, showed the power and strength of their musical talent with heavy notes and soft undertones. The brothers then played a condensed version of the "Nutcracker" suite which was as beautiful as it was perfectly on-point.

After intermission, the Paratores switched the tempo of the concert to a jazz score written by Dave Brubeck specifically for the brothers. The sweet melodies and catchy rhythms enraptured the entire audience.

The brothers finished their performance with a double encore of both men at one piano. At times, they even crossed over each others' arms. The crowed was moved to several standing ovations and the brothers informally greeted the audience after the show.

The Boston-born brothers have been playing together for over 30 years. Both attended the University of Boston Music School and Juliard where their solo skills were perfected and their duo presentation was encouraged. Coming from a family of musicians, the brothers remember their father, Anthony Paratore Sr. asking, "Did you practice today?" rather than "How was school?"

The Paratores gently laugh at the idea of trying to name their most memorable performance, but they place performing at the White House, on "The Tonight Show" and in Salzburg, Austria with the Vienna Philharmonic in the top three.

They have produced several albums with several major record companies and have played concerts all across America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

The "2 Pianos 4 Hands" performance the Paratores are known for is a unique style in which the brothers take original symphonies and piano masterpieces and add to them with the available extra notes of the other player.

With this technique, the brothers simulate the other instruments of the orchestra, while maintaining a piano lead. This interesting example of musical creativity has won them awards and accolades from the biggest names in the classical music world and beyond.

The brothers say their success is a testament to the power and importance of family love and appreciation. Without the encouragement of their parents and constant motivation of each other, none of it would have been possible.

Their other main drive is a pure appreciation and devotion to music. For the Paratores, "making a living is a by-product when you are doing what you love."

The Paratores want, above all, to continue performing and to maintain the bond of the classical musician and their audience. Both try to play something new every day and have a broad taste of music.

"I appreciate good music of any genre, as long as it's good," Anthony said.

They also believe that music appreciation is something that must be shared with the young. The brothers believe that it is their job as performers to continue to play for young people and open up their world.

The biggest reward for the Paratores is not success, money or fame. According to Anthony, they are simply " happy to live in a musical world."

For more information on the Paratore brothers, see www.duoparatore.com

Sacramento Ballet Presents The Nutcracker

2009-12-10T04:29:00Z

As children pranced around the well-lit and creatively-designed stage during Tuesday night’s dress rehearsal of the Nutcracker at the Community Center Theater, the Sacramento Ballet prepared for another season of Sugar Plum Fairies.

Director of Production Kyle Lemoi, who has been with the company for three seasons, said he has done many Nutcracker productions around the country, but the stage setup and attention to detail is what sets the Sacramento production apart.

“The set was made in Russia and was designed by (Alan Vaes), who lives in New York,” he said. “Everything is hand painted and they painted it with dye.”

The stage setup is a recent addition to the company and has only been around for five seasons, according to Lemoi.

Even though the set is fairly new, the production is full of effects that have been used for decades, such as fake snow.

“The snow is confetti, basically, but it’s certified and flame-proofed,” Lemoi said.

He said the snow is one of the most memorable stage effects for some, but it is also one of the hardest effects for dancers to work with.

Fifth season company dancer Brick Middlekauff agreed.

“Dancing on top of the snow isn’t too bad,” she said. “But while it’s falling it gets in your eyes, in your mouth and up your nose.”

Middlekauff said even though the snow is a minor setback, it remains her favorite part of the Nutcracker, along with the company's collaboration with children.

Middlekauff has been involved in Sacramento’s Nutcracker production since she was five and she said working with children reminds her of her childhood.

“I can remember doing all of the child roles and rehearsing,” Middlekauff said. “And every time I watch the kid rehearsals, you can tell that all the kids just love it.”

This season 500 children will be involved in 14 showings of the Nutcracker.

Art Director Ron Cunningham said he wanted to make the production homey for the audience and having many children accomplish that.

“My theory is that Nutcracker is a holiday, family tradition,” he said. “And when people in the audience are watching and they see all these kids, they’re really like their own kids, and I think that really resonates with families.”

Cunningham said the Sacramento Ballet has more children participants than any other Nutcracker production in the world.

Childhood participant Cheryl Konig said when she was involved in the production, during the mid-70s, there were only about 50 children in the Nutcracker.

“When Ron Cunningham took over, he took over about the mid-80s, he brought the trend in of adding so many children,” she said. “It’s just amazing.”

This season’s Nutcracker will also feature two guest dancers: Nina Baratova, a returning company dancer, and Melissa Sandvig from “So You Think You Can Dance,” who will share the sugar plum fairy role with company dancer Amanda Peet during the opening show as well as the Sweet Sunday performance.

“The opening night is the 500th performance of my Nutcracker,” Cunningham said. “We don’t typically have guest artist because I like to feature just my company; however, this being a very special one we invited special guests.”

Showings of the Nutcracker will be held Dec. 11 through Dec. 23 at the Community Center Theater. Ticket prices vary from $15 to $75.

For more information, visit sacballet.org

Wednesday: Sacramento to experience a 'Spring Awakening'

2009-11-03T07:47:06Z

Sex. It's controversial today, and it has been for more than a century. That's why Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play, Spring Awakening, which has strong sexual themes and language, was not produced in the playwright's native Germany until 1906.

It opened to English audiences for the first time in New York in 1917, and closed after one performance.

Times have changed. The winner of eight 2007 Tony awards including "best musical" and a 2008 Grammy for "Best Musical Show Album opens Wednesday as part of California Musical Theatre's Broadway Sacramento season. Well, sort of. Spring Awakening was not offered as part of the season subscription package, because the theater's executive producer, Richard Lewis, said he did not want to "force" the show on an audience.

Christopher McSwain, community affairs director for California Musical Theatre, urged people not to reject the play merely because it deals with sex. It's more about the consequences of not communicating openly with teenagers about sex, he said.

"If asked to give a blanket statement so that people could judge whether or not it's right for them and sum it up in five or so words, we say "recommended for 17 and over," McSwain added. "But if there are 16-year-old musical theater fans who are dying to see it, they will be able to buy a ticket."

As part of the marketing strategy, Broadway Sacramento held a Spring Awakening event Friday at Mix,1531 L St. It featured theme drinks, TV screens playing scenes and stills from the show, and music from the score. (Full disclosure: California Musical Theatre is an advertising partner with The Sacramento Press and The Sacramento Press helped plan the Mix event.)

It's a timeless musical, McSwain said. With a score by pop-rock musician Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening is geared to a young audience despite the age of the script.

"I hope that the kids who see it recognize the value in actually talking about their lives and finding connections," said Spring Awakening director Michael Mayer. "Without getting preachy, I think this play can have a positive impact on society as well as provide a terrifically entertaining and very, very moving theater experience."

The show's producer, Tom Hulce, echoed this sentiment. Hulce is most famous for playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Academy Award-winning 1984 film Amadeus.

"Kids have found one of a dozen different things in the play to be particularly meaningful to them, that give them either a hope they didn’t have before, or an understanding they didn’t have before, or an ability to talk to people that they didn’t have before," he said. "The issues of how we raise our children, how we can best answer their needs, and what is the right way to help young people become themselves is universal."

One way to get closer to the story and gain a different perspective is to buy a seat on the stage. "Without joining the actors union, how else do you get on a Broadway stage?" joked McSwain.

Having members of the audience onstage is in keeping with Spring Awakening's theme: It's a story about experiences we all share, not just 19th century German schoolkids. A $25 seat onstage might land you next to the drummer or even a singer, McSwain said.

"What we hear is: Is Sacramento ready for this?" McSwain said. "We figure it's playing Des Moines (Iowa) and East Lansing, (Mich.), (so) if Des Moines can handle it, maybe we can. I think we're at least as hip and edgy as Des Moines, don't you think?"

Spring Awakening runs Nov. 4-15 at the Community Center Theater, 1301 L St. Tickets are $18 to $65, available here.

*Photograph one credit Paul Kolnik. Photograph two credit Joan Marcus.

Sacramento Ballet prepared for unstoppable season

2009-07-09T04:57:52Z

Sacramento Ballet has narrowly survived its budget crisis. After canceling the remainder of the 2008-2009 season last January, the ballet will dance on another season.

"We're excited and thrilled to have made it through the crisis, and we've put together a program!" said Mimi Kent, the ballet's marketing director.

Credit the work ethic of the dancers. After the season was canceled, they organized and executed their own fundraising campaign while continuing with a number of in-studio performances.

On top of that, they took a 10 percent pay cut last season which has now been restored. In one silent auction, they raised about $20,000 for the organization.

For the 2009-2010 season, Sacramento Ballet has lowered their ticket prices. As part of the effort to be more fiscally responsible, they've also added new smaller venues.

"[The new season] is just trying to appeal to the masses by offering ticket prices that don't scare people off," Kent said. "We've done a lot of cost-cutting, and we've got a massive subscription [effort] going on."

No longer will all the shows be held in the expensive Community Center Theater in the Sacramento Convention Center. Shows will be held at the Crest Theatre, the University Theater in Shasta Hall at Sacramento State and the Sacramento Ballet's studio at 1631 K St.

Also expanding is the ballet's repertoire. The program features something for everyone: a choreography competition, classics like the Nutcracker, and the epic Carmina Burana.

"We had a wide variety of people who came to our rescue," Kent said. "They wanted to see more contemporary works and get to know the ballet a little better -- not everybody is into classic ballet."

Because the dancers have yet to sign contracts for the season, they were not available for comment.

The following is the program for the new season:

Capital Choreography Competition
Three world premieres from top talent in the dance world battle for recognition and cash awards. After a distinguished panel of judges pick the winners, the audience selects the “people’s choice” by popular vote.

Where: Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.
When: October 17 and 24, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $25 to $35

Peter & the Wolf
An interactive afternoon of fun activities with dancers of the Sacramento Ballet including a performance of Peter & the Wolf, the world’s most famous children’s ballet. A celebrity guest narrates the charming tale choreographed by Ron Cunningham to the delightful music of Sergei Prokofiev. Join Peter, Cat and Bird as they capture the Big Bad Wolf and take him to the zoo!

Where: Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.
When: October 24 3 p.m.
Tickets: $15 (children), $25 (adults)

Ron Cunningham’s The Nutcracker
Opening night of The Nutcracker is the 500th performances of Ron Cunningham’s magical rendition of this timeless classic. Be swept away by the beautiful music of Peter Tchaikovsky’s music as you visit the enchanted Snowflake Forest and scrumptious Land of the Sweets. All performances of this beloved tradition are accompanied by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.

Where: Community Center Theater, 1301 L St.
When: December 10 to 23, time to be announced
Tickets: $15 to $68

Nutcracker Sweet Sunday
Special matinee event: Enjoy the magic of The Nutcracker, then join the cast and characters in the lobby for juice and cookies. Walk on stage in the Land of the Sweets, meet and greet the dancers and take your picture with the Sugar Plum Fairy and other characters from the ballet! Appropriate for all ages.

Where: Community Center Theater, 1301 L St.
When: December 13, 1 p.m.
Tickets: $37.50 (children 12 and under), $75 (adults), no child discount in Grand Tier Box

Nine Sinatra Songs
Celebrate Valentine’s weekend to the velvet voice of “Ol’ Blue Eyes” in the sophisticated and elegant Nine Sinatra Songs by Tony-award winner Twyla Tharp. Included on the program is Trey McIntyre’s joyous and spiritually uplifting "Second Before the Ground" set to the African-inspired music of the renowned Kronos Quartet, and the spectacular "Frankie & Johnny" by Michael Smuin, another Tony-award winning choreographer, who places the legendary lovers in sultry Havana to the beat of hot Latin rhythms. Suggested for mature audiences.

Where: Community Center Theater, 1301 L St.
When: February 11 to 14, 2010, time to be announced
Tickets: $15 to $63

Carmina Burana
Ron Cunningham’s epic, larger-than-life spectacle to the soaring music of Carl Orff is the signature masterpiece of the Sacramento Ballet. Complete with full chorus and orchestra, Carmina Burana’s erotic passion ignites the senses for an intense experience not soon forgotten. The genius of George Balanchine’s magnificent theme and variations completes a perfect evening to the glorious music of Peter Tchaikovsky.

Where: Community Center Theater, 1301 L St.
When: March 25 to 28, 2010, time to be announced
Tickets: $15 to $63

Modern Masters
Catch the next wave as daring, innovative choreographers unleash their imaginations in new works of astonishing creativity. See the most talked-about new voices in American dance in an explosion of creativity from the edge. Five world premieres will bowl you over with fresh new concepts and ideas as diverse as the wide universe of dance.

Where: University Theatre in Shasta Hall, Sacramento State, 6000 J St.
When: April 22 to 25, 2010, time to be announced
Tickets: $40

Encore at Mondavi
Join us for a celebration of the best of the Sacramento Ballet in a special performance sponsored by the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. A champagne and dessert reception following the performance is included in the price.

Where: Studio Theatre at the Mondavi Center, 9399 Old Davis Road, Davis
When: April 2, 2010, 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: $100 (includes reception), available only through the Mondavi Center Box Office.

In-Studio Performances
Details will be released at sacballet.org during the season.

*Permission to use photo granted by Sacramento Ballet. Photo is credited to Keith Sutter.